Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar KLEP02060.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98KLEP02060xe2x80x99.
The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Ivy Geraniums with uniform and freely branching plant habit, trailing plant habit and interesting flower and foliage coloration.
The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1998 of the Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Klegatta, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/250,016, now abandoned, as the female, or seed, parent with the Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Kleblue, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/250,014, now abandoned, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar KLEP02060 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the resultant progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany, in June, 1999.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since 2000 has shown that the unique features of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98KLEP02060xe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98KLEP02060xe2x80x99 as a new cultivar and distinguish it from other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:
1. Trailing plant habit.
2. Freely branching plant habit.
3. Early flowering habit.
4. Pastel pink-colored double flowers.
5. Good tolerance to rain, wind and high temperatures.
Compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Klegatta, plants of the new Ivy Geranium are more freely branching. In addition, plants of the new Ivy Geranium and the cultivar Klegatta differ in flower color as plants of the cultivar Klegatta have white-colored flowers. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Kleblue, in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Kleblue have violet-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar Kleropink, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Ivy Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Kleropink in the following characteristics:
1. Leaves of plants of the new Ivy Geranium had a more distinct zonation pattern than leaves of plants of the cultivar Kleropink.
2. Flower color of plants of the new Ivy Geranium was lighter pink than flower color of plants of the cultivar Kleropink.
3. Flowers of plants of the new Ivy Geranium had more petaloids than flowers of the cultivar Kleropink.
4. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium were more tolerant to outdoor weather conditions than plants of the cultivar Kleropink.